The first part of any successful fantasy football season is the draft. You might be thinking to yourself, “This is a championship-caliber team.”
Not even close. The fun has just started.
Or you could be on the other end of the spectrum and think you did not draft the team you want. There are plenty of ways to strengthen your team, regardless of how the draft played out. How you navigate the rest of the season to beef up your roster is just as important. Let’s go over some tips you will want to keep in mind so that you can stay in championship contention.
Keep Up With The Latest News
I cannot stress this enough. We live in a day and age when information comes at us in a hurry. You want to beat everyone to the waiver wire in case of breaking news. The best way to get to the waiver wire first is to turn on social media alerts for the top NFL insiders and beat writers. Your first instinct when you get the alert should be to check if you can better your team in some way.
I am a big advocate of stashing as many running backs as possible, but roster limitations make it impossible for all NFL running backs to be on a team in your league. Use that to your advantage. Did a star running back get hurt in practice? Traded to another team? Losing touches to his backup? Get suspended for some off-the-field issue? Grab his backup.
If he’s already taken, grab the No. 3 back, especially in deeper leagues. Jordan Mason was RB4 in the first four weeks Christian McCaffrey was out of action last season. Zach Charbonnet averaged 17.6 points in half-PPR leagues in the six games Kenneth Walker missed. Kareem Hunt was RB7 from Week 5 to Week 10, averaging 16.8 points, when filling in for an injured Isiah Pacheco. All three players could have been found on waivers.
Be Patient … But Not Too Patient
It’s easy to get mad when your WR2 or FLEX begins the season with five receptions for 64 yards and zero touchdowns in Week 1. Week 2 comes and goes, and it’s another measly output with three catches for 76 yards and no scores.
Look deeper at the numbers. How often was the receiver targeted each game? Did he have three or four red-zone looks? His time to shine is coming. Same goes for running backs who start slow. If your back is getting all the goal-line carries but just has not found the end zone yet, be confident that it will balance itself out during the season.
At the same time, do not be too loyal if a player is underperforming. It is easy to get caught up in the past, but once you see a trend of a lack of targets, carries or pass attempts, do not be afraid to move on. Those of us in Baltimore want Isaiah Likely to be a fantasy star. He finished as TE1 in Week 1 last season and fantasy owners made him a priority pickup. He scored 3.6, 0.9, and 3.1 points the next three weeks and finished as TE24 the rest of the season.
Keep Tabs On Other Teams In Your League
It’s important to know not only what’s going on with your team but what’s going on around the league as well. If you know someone is a fan of a particular NFL team, use that to your benefit in negotiations. They may have a bias for players who play for that team.
Did another team lose its star running back and you are holding on to the handcuff? Have too many good receivers on your team but not enough running backs? Injuries depleting your squad? Find a team that is in the opposite situation. Gauge their interest in a potential trade. A counterproposal is likely, but active conversation goes a long way in getting a deal done.
Plan Ahead For Bye Weeks
You should have plenty of backs and receivers for the bye weeks, but if you have just one quarterback and one tight end on the roster, you want to be proactive. Target quarterbacks who have matchups against weaker opponents and pick them up a week or two earlier. You are not the only fantasy owner with bye-week issues. Being proactive is the key to any successful fantasy team. Getting a jump on the competition improves your odds of having the best team available.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 294: August / September 2025
Originally published Aug. 13, 2025